merrywether
<font color=blue>Blue Fairies are welcome!
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2003
I was looking forward to going to Afternoon Tea at the Grand Floridian for quite awhile. DH and I missed our opportunity on our honeymoon in December, as we did not have priority seating and the place was mobbed. So we smartened up and made a PS for our trip last month. We were accompanied by my in-laws. The kind people on these boards suggested that we bring clothes to change into. So we valet parked, brought clothes in and changed in the GF lobby bathroom after coming from a morning in the MK. After changing, we had about 20 mins. to go before our PS time, so we sat and enjoyed the air conditioned lobby as a dixieland band played some tunes above us. We meandered over to the Garden View Lounge about 5 minutes before our PS and were seated immediately. Of course, because I had taken the time to procure a PS this trip, there was only one other table occupied in the whole restaurant! Doh! Anyway...I'm glad we decided to dress up, because it added to the fun of being at a formal tea. I think we might have felt a little out of place in our park clothes.
Dennis, our waiter, put our cloth napkins in our laps as we sat, and explained our options. All four of us opted for the "Buckingham Palace". The first course of the Buckingham included your choice of tea (we all tried different ones, so we got to taste each other's). I tried the house's Garden View Bouquet, which was so good, I bought a tin of it to bring home. Each person received their own pot of tea. First course also included tea sandwiches (pear and gorgonzola, salmon mousse, chicken salad with walnut, cucumber and watercress, and a fifth that I don't remember!). An onion tart was also on the plate. It was all absolutely delicious, except for the salmon, that my father in law gladly took off my hands because I'm not partial to it. Second course was a delectable scone with preserves (your choice of raspberry or strawberry) and devonshire cream, and a sizeable strawberry tart. 5 pounds heavier and 2 cups of tea later, the dessert came. Two of us opted for the strawberries and cream, and the other two opted for the pastries (choice of two from the tray). We shared it all. I had a chocolate covered strawberry that was so good, words can't describe. The strawberries and fresh cream were sooo.....well, ditto for that - it was just amazing.
Our waiter was incredible. He was friendly and accomodating. We never had to wait or want for anything while we were there. The whole experience was well worth the $17.50 per person charge. I wasn't hungry again that day, so afternoon tea ended up being my dinner (our seating was at 4:30). The only disappointment was walking back through the lobby toward the bathroom to change back into our park clothes as a pianist was playing. We hated to stop the relaxing, elegant feel the afternoon at the GF had given to us! However, my husband had beaten me at Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin earlier in the day, so I was anxious to get back and exact my revenge!
The tea was a great experience for all of us, and now it will be a 'must do' on all our future WDW trips.
Kim
Dennis, our waiter, put our cloth napkins in our laps as we sat, and explained our options. All four of us opted for the "Buckingham Palace". The first course of the Buckingham included your choice of tea (we all tried different ones, so we got to taste each other's). I tried the house's Garden View Bouquet, which was so good, I bought a tin of it to bring home. Each person received their own pot of tea. First course also included tea sandwiches (pear and gorgonzola, salmon mousse, chicken salad with walnut, cucumber and watercress, and a fifth that I don't remember!). An onion tart was also on the plate. It was all absolutely delicious, except for the salmon, that my father in law gladly took off my hands because I'm not partial to it. Second course was a delectable scone with preserves (your choice of raspberry or strawberry) and devonshire cream, and a sizeable strawberry tart. 5 pounds heavier and 2 cups of tea later, the dessert came. Two of us opted for the strawberries and cream, and the other two opted for the pastries (choice of two from the tray). We shared it all. I had a chocolate covered strawberry that was so good, words can't describe. The strawberries and fresh cream were sooo.....well, ditto for that - it was just amazing.
Our waiter was incredible. He was friendly and accomodating. We never had to wait or want for anything while we were there. The whole experience was well worth the $17.50 per person charge. I wasn't hungry again that day, so afternoon tea ended up being my dinner (our seating was at 4:30). The only disappointment was walking back through the lobby toward the bathroom to change back into our park clothes as a pianist was playing. We hated to stop the relaxing, elegant feel the afternoon at the GF had given to us! However, my husband had beaten me at Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin earlier in the day, so I was anxious to get back and exact my revenge!
The tea was a great experience for all of us, and now it will be a 'must do' on all our future WDW trips.
Kim
